SAN ANTONIO – Nobody expected Oklahoma to make its first trip to the Alamo Bowl in program history for the 2021 season.

That’s the way it worked. There were quite a few numbers of things nobody expected when it came riding this roller coaster of a year.

You can debate the missed moments and the could’ve and should’ve of it all, but it ends in a victory. One more for Bob Stoops as the Sooners used a sensational second quarter to put away Oregon 47-32 in the Alamo Bowl on Wednesday night.

There he was, one final time walking the tunnel and taking to the sidelines. Any time Stoops was shown on the Alamodome videoboard, there was a massive roar from the OU-heavy crowd.

They got it. They understood. It wasn’t going to be a national championship this season, but it was a chance to send out Stoops the right way.

The only way.

“When you know it’s over, you can take your headset off and enjoy the moment,” Stoops said. “It was fun. It was exciting. Again, I’m appreciative to the team and to everybody for the opportunity.”

Of all the things nobody expected, Stoops sure as heck didn’t expect to have to leave the golf course on a Sunday afternoon a month ago and fill in again.

Lincoln Riley was gone, leaving for USC. Now it was time for Stoops. In a strange way, it worked out because Stoops never got that proper goodbye moment.

When OU won the Sugar Bowl vs. Auburn to conclude the 2016 season, nobody knew there wouldn’t be a 2017 season for Stoops. He retired, no celebration on his way out.

That celebration was Wednesday in helping OU to an 11-2 record and bridging that gap from ending the 2021 season the right way and getting the start to 2022.

“Trust me, it’s been on my mind,” said interim offensive coordinator Cale Gundy, who will remain on staff. “I wanted, we all did, everybody wanted to make sure we went out the right way because he went out winning that game in the Sugar Bowl and went out on top. Everybody wanted him to go out on top again.”

The Sooners did that with a 24-0 domination of the second quarter to take a commanding 30-3 into halftime. The Ducks had a lot of offensive success in the second half, but the Sooners were matching them for the most part and the score was never closer than the final margin.

Included in that second quarter was a moment no OU fan will ever forget. Not only did Drake Stoops, Bob’s son, catch a pass, but it was a touchdown pass. A father-son hug that will live in the annals of OU history.

“It was great,” Drake Stoops said. “Obviously, I like catching touchdown passes, so that was nice. It was awesome. It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and getting to play one game under my dad, just one game out of my whole career is definitely something I’ll remember forever. And I’m sure he’ll cherish it as well.”

There was a lot to cherish in this one. From a three-touchdown outing for quarterback Caleb Williams and a three-touchdown performance from Kennedy Brooks, but a lot was about Stoops.

One-part counselor, one-part coach, one-part ambassador, one-part recruiter and all-time program guy during this last month. He kept reiterating how appreciative he was of the 2021 team, but that is 100 percent reciprocal.

““Thanks to Coach Stoops for coming back one more time,” Brooks said. “Man, this is a dream. He recruited me, and just for – it’s been a dream, and obviously one of the best teams of my life, so I’m thankful for him. Thank you so much.”

After that comment, though, Stoops was ready to return to the good life.

“Appreciate it, buddy. I’m back to the golf course tomorrow,” he said.

Stoops held down the fort and now will enter Brent Venables to take over. A passing of the torch, or in this case, a visor, happened during the postgame celebration.

Stoops was asked about the future of the program, and he asked Venables to come to the stage and share the moment.

A season that began with many believing it was Riley’s best bunch yet ends with Stoops and Venables celebrating an Alamo Bowl victory. That was 2021 in a nutshell, a season nobody will forget, for better or worse.

Everybody now knows the OU program is in good hands going forward, and everybody knows a good reason why is because of what Stoops has meant, means and will mean to the program.

“This game I really believe segues right into next year, that we aren’t going to miss a beat,” Stoops said. “This program is going to continue to move forward in a positive way and will not be going anywhere.

“We’re going to be a year-in and year-out top five, top 10 team, and we’ll be competing for national championships for years to come with Coach Venables. I was really proud to have him up there with me at the end of the celebration tonight.”